Abstract: AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of pleural perfusion with compound matrine injection plus interleukin-2 in the treatment of elderly patients diagnosed as malignant pleural effusion induced by lung cancer.METHODS: 60 elderly patients diagnosed as malignant pleural effusion induced by lung cancer were randomized to either therapy group or control group: the patients' pleural cavity in the therapy group were infused with compound matrine injection 30 mL plus interleukin-2 2 milion IU, while the pleural cavity of the control group were infused with interleukin-2 2million IU. The treatment of two group were repeated after a week for a total of four times. After four weeks, the efficacy, quality of life and side effect were recorded.RESULTS: The response rate (RR) in the therapy group were significantly higher than these in the control group (86.7% vs 63.3%, P<0.05) ; The KPS scores(>70)in the therapy group was significantly higher than that in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). The adverse effects of chest pain, nausea and disgorging in the therapy group wese significantly lower than these in the control group (P>0.05), except fever.CONCLUSION: Compound matrine injection plus interleukin-2 shows proved efficacy and slight side-effect for elderly patients diagnosed as malignant pleural effusion induced by lung cancer efficacy in that the quality of life of the elderly has been improved, thus it serves as an effective regimen for elderly malignant plural effusion patients.

Key words: Compound matrine injection, Interleukin-2, Elderly patients diagnosed as malignant pleural effusion induced by lung cancer, Efficacy, Karnofsky score, Toxicity